Birds sign WR Jones to 1-year deal

Seven-time Pro Bowl receiver could help offense in red zone

PHILADELPHIA — In a stunning move the Eagles signed Julio Jones, the 34-year-old golden oldie wide receiver, to a one-year contract Tuesday.

Jones has Hall of Fame credentials with 13,629 yards receiving yards and 903 receptions, 16th and 23rd all-time. He’s made the Pro Bowl in seven seasons of a 12-year career that began with the Atlanta Falcons and disintegrated into soft tissue injury issues.

Jones, the 2011 first-round pick out of Alabama, also has 64 career touchdowns, although he has just three in the past two seasons with the Tennessee Titans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The move was announced after Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson spoke to the media. Presumably Jones can help the Eagles in the red zone, where they’ve struggled this season. The Eagles had some early success inside the 20-yard of the New York Jets this past Sunday before falling apart in the second half of a 20-14 setback, their first loss in six starts this season.

Beyond that, the addition is puzzling in that Jones figures to be the fourth option in the receiving corps behind A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert. And maybe the fifth option among pass catchers if you include running back D’Andre Swift.

Clearly the Eagles have gotten almost nothing out of Quez Watkins, their injury riddled fourth receiver. Watkins has been unable to use the blazing speed that’s endeared him to the Eagles.

Johnson is a buddy of Brown, who teamed up with him in Tennessee. Brown is second in the NFL with 672 receiving yards, trailing only Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins, who trek to Philly this weekend to take on the Eagles. The Dolphins average an NFL-best 37.2 points per game.

Eagles fans are no strangers to Jones. During the 2017 Super Bowl championship run, Jones caught nine passes for 101 yards and a score versus the Eagles in the NFC divisional playoff round.

Yet when the Falcons absolutely, positively needed a big play Jones was unable to come up with a grab on three plays from the nine-yard line in the dying moments of what became a 15-10 Eagles triumph.

Hurting with injuries in the secondary, the Eagles also cornerback Josiah Scott off the practice squad of the Pittsburgh Steelers Tuesday.